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Friday, 12 August 2011

LE MARCHÉ ST. GEORGE, A HIDDEN GEM

Le Marché St. George is a quaint little corner store and cafe hidden in a quiet residential neighbourhood. At once you are struck by its rustic French charm. The shop is located on St. George Street and E. 28th Avenue in East Vancouver (between Main and Fraser).

The building is surrounded by potted herbs and plants. In the back, my friend tells me that the owner has a bee hive and is growing veggies.

The immediate area surrounding the shop is lush with flowers and greenery.

Outside the shop, patrons drink their coffee and eat their pastries in the sunshine. Residing on the shady side of the building shielded by a couple of patio umbrellas are boxes of local organic fresh produce.

The selection presented reminded me of my strolls through street markets in little towns in France.

Inside, Le Marché St. George houses a variety of goodies. It truly is a neighbourhood corner grocery store…with a definite French twist. To the left I saw a huge refrigerator. Basics such as organic eggs, milk and juice as well as gourmet products resided in the fridge for shoppers. On the black chalkboard located on the end of the refrigerator were the specials of the day.

There was even something for children…a corner near the marble counter and till featured toys, books and gorgeous little chairs for little tushies. Way cute!

It seemed as if every little nook and cranny was rammed with cool and useful stuff! There were handcrafted preserves, knitware, towels, teas, soaps, oils, vinegars…I bet if you needed it, they had it!

We actually just came for a cup of tea and a chat and though seating is limited inside with a little area near each of the two windows for perhaps 6 people at most, there were some chairs outside as well. On an early Friday afternoon I was quite surprised by the steady little stream of people coming through to buy their coffees and something to eat. The chalkboard featured teas, coffees, paninis, croissants, pastries and artisanal breads.

I forgot my sweater and came back later on in the afternoon, near dinnertime and it was quiet. The store would be closing at 7pm. I do hope this shop does well because it truly is a gem. The products and the shop reminded me of my summer living in France with my friends and walking through the doors one feels the pace of life slow down. The atmosphere encourages you to linger and chit chat over your drink and food.

Because there is not much signage indicating that this is indeed a store, you might miss it. But I guess that’s the point, isn’t it? It’s no Starbucks or London Drugs mega-chain. It’s cute and quaint and homey. You will want to linger.